1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a high-energy beam irradiating desulfurization device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a novel desulfurization device by high-energy beam irradiation, capable of executing depth desulfurization of a sulfur content contained in a petroleum product or a petroleum semimanufactured product highly efficiently.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in a process of petroleum refinement, a desulfurization device plays an important role as the device for eliminating the sulfur content. As a method commonly used in the present desulfurization process, a desulfurization method of adding hydrogen and converting the S content to hydrogen sulfide under high temperature and high pressure, a method of extracting and eliminating the sulfur content using ADIP (diisopropanolamine) or MEAH (monoethanol amine), or the like, are known.
The S contained in light oil, middle oil, or the like in a petroleum product or a petroleum semimanufactured product exists in various forms. Representative forms thereof include H2S, Rxe2x80x94SH, Rxe2x80x94Sxe2x80x94Sxe2x80x94R, thiophene, benzothiophene, dibenzothiophene, or the like. Depending on the boiling point fraction of the oil, the form of the contained S therein differs as well.
Among the S contents existing in the various forms, according to the above-mentioned conventional common methods, the H2S (hydrogen sulfide) and Rxe2x80x94SH (mercaptan) can be eliminated relatively easily.
However, as to the thiophene acid represented by the following formula, it is not easy to eliminate the same by the conventional methods. In particular, the depth desulfurization of the sulfur (S) content capable of eliminating the 4,6-dialkyl dibenzothiophene in light oil has been extremely difficult. 
In contrast, since a problem is involved in that the catalyst for the hydrogenation is mixed in the petroleum in the above-mentioned conventional hydrogen desulfurization method, as a countermeasure for solving the problem, a desulfurization method by directing a radioactive ray to oil for activating the S content in the oil, and contacting the same with metal so as to be eliminated as metal sulfide has been proposed (official gazette of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 50-39703). According to the method, a radioactive ray is directed with solid powder of metal such as copper dispersed in the oil so that the metal sulfide is separated as a solid content from the oil.
However, the method of directing the radioactive ray has been only proposed without actual use in practice. As the reason therefor, use of metal powder, which can hardly be dispersed well in the oil and absence of discussion for the actual condition of the petroleum refinement process and the device embodiment, can be presented. Furthermore, in the proposed method, the above-mentioned problem recognition in the depth desulfurization is not found.
In view of the above-mentioned conventional technique, the present inventor has aimed at providing an efficient and highly practical novel desulfurization device capable of executing the depth desulfurization, which has been at issue recently as the object of the invention.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a high-energy beam irradiating desulfurization device for a petroleum product or a petroleum semimanufactured product, comprising a catalyst liquid-liquid contact part for contacting a metal compound solution as a catalyst and the petroleum product or the petroleum semimanufactured product, a high-energy beam irradiating part, and a sulfide collecting part for separating and collecting sulfide of the metal produced by the high-energy beam irradiation, is provided.
Moreover, the second aspect of the present invention provides a high-energy beam irradiation desulfurization device according to the first aspect, wherein the metal compound is at least one selected from the group consisting of a hydrophilic compound and a lipophilic compound. The third aspect provides a high-energy beam irradiating desulfurization device, wherein the metal compound solution is a solution of at least one selected from the group consisting of water and an organic solvent. The fourth aspect provides a high-energy beam irradiating desulfurization device, wherein the metal comprising the metal compound is at least one selected from the group consisting of silver, lead, iron, copper, and precious metal.
Furthermore, the fifth aspect provides a high-energy beam irradiating desulfurization device according to any one of the above-mentioned aspect, wherein the high-energy beam irradiating part is provided with at least one selected from the group consisting of an X ray source, a radioactive ray source, a synchrotron, and a microwave source. The sixth aspect provides a high-energy beam irradiating desulfurization device according to any one of the above-mentioned aspect, wherein the high-energy beam is directed to a liquid mixture from the catalyst liquid-liquid contacting part at least either from above or sideways in the high-energy beam irradiating part. The seventh aspect provides a high-energy beam irradiating desulfurization device according to any one of the above-mentioned aspect, wherein the sulfide collecting part is provided with at least one selected from the group consisting of a filter, a static amount separator, a centrifugal separating device, and a cyclone separating device.
Moreover, the eighth aspect provides a high-energy beam irradiating desulfurization device according to any one of the above-mentioned aspect, wherein a secondary high-energy beam irradiating part is provided for secondarily irradiating a high-energy beam from at least either above or sideways for eliminating the residual catalyst subsequent to the sulfide collecting part. The ninth aspect provides a high-energy beam irradiating desulfurization device according to any one of the above-mentioned aspect, wherein a catalyst reproducing part is provided for reproducing the catalyst from the sulfide of the metal collected in the sulfide collecting part. The tenth aspect provides a high-energy beam irradiating desulfurization device according to any one of the above-mentioned aspect, wherein a sulfuric acid producing part is provided for producing sulfuric acid from the sulfide of the metal collected in the sulfide collecting part.
Furthermore, the eleventh aspect of the present invention provides a high-energy beam irradiating desulfurization device according to the ninth aspect, wherein a circulating path to the catalyst liquid-liquid contacting part is provided for the reproduced catalyst. The twelfth aspect provides a high-energy beam irradiating desulfurization device, wherein a distillation part is provided for separating the desulfurized petroleum product or petroleum semimanufactured product and the catalyst solvent. Furthermore, the thirteenth aspect provides a petroleum refining device comprising any one of the above-mentioned desulfurization devices assembled as a part of the petroleum refining device.
The above-mentioned present invention is similar to the above-mentioned methods already proposed in that the desulfurization is executed by irradiating a high-energy beam. However, it is essentially different in terms of the technological concept of the desulfurization concerning all of the object of the invention, the configuration, and the operation effect. In particular, in the present invention, the depth desulfurization of the S content capable of eliminating the 4,6-dibenzothiophene in the light oil, which has conventionally been extremely difficult, can be carried out by irradiation of the high-energy beam. At the same time, a highly practical desulfurization device having the excellent efficiency can be provided.